Folding crate.



2 SHEETS-SHEET l.-

- J. WOODS. FOLDING CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 18, 1909. r v

Patented June 15, 1909;

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FOLDING CRATE.

APPLICATION rum) FEB.1B, 1909.

Pate nted June 15, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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Witwepoeo JOHN WOODS, OF UNITY, MAINE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD 'lO \ZllAltLliS (l. FOVV LER, OF.

UNITY, MAINE, AND ONE-THIRD TO EZRA A. CARPENTER, 0F BROOKS, MAINE.

FOLDING CRATE Specification of Letters Patent.

'Patented. June 15, 1909.

Application filed February 18, 1909. Serial no. steam.

enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Ihjs invention relates to improvements in folding crates.

. The object of the invention is to provide a crate which may be folded into compact form when not in use, whereby the same may be closely packed and readily transportml.

Anot i'er object is to provide a folding crate, the connected ends of the sides of which form hinges, whereby said sides may be folded together.

A further object is to provide a crate havin the bottom section hin ed at one ed e to h l fold against the side of the crate and having,

means to automatically lock said bottom in operative position.

lVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will be nrorc fully described. and particularly pointed. out in the appended claims.

Inthe accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a frontview of a crate constructed in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view; Fig. 3 is a detail vertical sectional view of the bottom and the lower portion of the front of the crate, showing the construction of the bottom fastening devices; Fig. 4 is a detail vertical section of the bottom and lower portion of the rear side of the crate showing the arrangement of the hinged members for the bottom; Fig. 5 is a side view of the crate, in folded position; and Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of the crate folded as shown in Fig. 5.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 denotes the crate which may be of any suitable construction and is here'shown as having its sides and bottom formed of a series of slats 2. The ends of the slats forming the sides of the crate are hingcdly connected together by pivot rods 3, said rods extending entirely through the sides of the crate and having their upper ends bent outwardly and downwardly into enimoomont with the upper hold said bottom in slats, whereby said upper ends of the rods are secured.

The bottom "-2 of the crate has its slats spaced apart and secured together at their opposite ends by ross bars 5. The bottom 4 is engaged with we lower slats of the front and rear sides of the crate and said bottom-is hingedly secured to the rear side of the crate by hinge members 6 which are forn'ied by the projecting right-angularly bent ends of the pivot rods 3 hingedly connecting the rear and side portions of the crate. The rightangularly bent ends of the members 6 are loosely engaged with grooves side of the rear cross bar 5 of the bottom, and

to I

7 formed in the lower said ends are held in operative engagement with said cross bar by sta les 8.

The front edge of the ottom 4 is secured to the front side of the crate by means of.

be engaged with sockets or; recesses 10' formed In two of the slats of the bottom,- as

is clearly shown in 3 of thedrawings. One of the hooks 9 is formed by a continuation of the pivot rod 3 which hingedly connects tho ends of the front andsido slats at one corner of the crate. ing hook 9 is formed'from a wire rod which is inserted through, thebottom slat of the The other fasten? front side of the crate and projects below said slat and is bent at right-angles, as hereinbefore described. The opposite end of the rod is bent around the outer side of the slat andissecurcd by a staple 12, as shown. The rod, after being secured by the staple 12, is extended downwardly and then bent rearwardly and upwardly to form a spring latch or detent 13, which, when the bottom is in operative position and the fastening hooks 9 engaged therewith, will spring against one of the slats forming the bottom and thereby locked engagement with the fastening hooks. T he upwardly bent end of the detent- 13 engages the inner side of the bottom slat'of the front of the crate 4 and forms a guide, so that when the detent is forced upwardly into enga emei'it with the lower edge of the bottom s at of the front side, said bottom may be moved laterally to a suflicicnt extent to disengage the slats thereof from the fastening hooks,- thns per- Knitting the bottom to be swung back on the hinged members (3. ho lower edge of the the crate and to hold the same in position to bottom slat of the lront side of the crate is prefeably notched, as shown at 1a, to receiye the laterally bent end. of the detent 13,

I when the latter is retracted, so that said end will lie Bush with the lower edge of the bot-- tom slat, and will not interfere with the lateral movement of the bottom when the latter is disengaged from the fastening: hooks. To the inner side of the front and rear I sides of the crate adjacent to one end of said I sides are secured vertically disposed stop bars 15 which, when the crate is in an operl ative position, are engaged by the slats of the opposite sides. Said stop bars serve to limit the movement of the slatted sides of' form the crate If desired, the sides and bottom of the crate may be strengthened by diagonally arranged brace-bars 36.

While I have herein shown and described l the crate as being open at its top, it is ob- I violis that I may, if desired, provide a top I section and hingedly connect the same to one of the sides of the crate in. the same manner as shown and described in connection With the bottom section.

A crate constructed as herein shown and described is especially designed for the purose of gathering potatoes or fruit'in the held and transporting the same in the crates g and labor of emptying each receptacle as is usually done when the potatoes or fruit are gathered in baskets.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection With the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily nndcrstoml without requiring a more extended. explanation. l

Various changes in the lorn'i, pro iiortion and the minor details of construction may be I resorted to Without departing from the I principle or sacrificing any of the advantages l of this invention as dclined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, What 1 I clin n as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is 1- p v 1. A crate of the 7 character described, comprising side members, pivot rods .to hingedly connect the ends of said side membors together at the corners of the crate, a bottom section, hinged members formed by the extended right-angularly bent ends of two of said pivot rods to hingedly connect said bottom with one side of the crate, fastening hooks arranged on, the lower edge of the opposite side of the crate, and adapted to be engaged with the free edge of the bottom and a spring detcnt adapted to automatically engage said bottom and to hold the fastening hooks Y 2. A crate oi the cl'iaracter described, comprising slatted sides, pivot rods to hingedly connect the slatted sides together at the corners of the crate, a slatted bottom section, means to brace said sides and bottom, hinge members formed by right-singularly bent extensionsof two of said pivot rods, means to pivotally secure the hinge members into engagement with the bottom of the crate, bottom fastening hooks arranged on the front or oppositeside of the crate from said hii'iged memln rs, said fastening hooks being adapted to engage the free end of the bottom when in an operative position, a detent comprising .a spring-controlled rod secured. to the lower edge of the front side of the crate, and adapted to spring into engagement with one of the slats of the bottom, thereby holding said bottom into locked engz'igement with the fastening hooks.

in testimony whereof l. have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Witnesses. I

JOHN lVOODS. Witnesses LrLmAN A. DRAKE, L. W. DRAKE.

same in locked connecticm with said 

